Time
by SEG-CISR
Summary: An unquenchable need to master the intangible concept of time is born when a child is forced to face the reality of its impact on his life.
1. The Idea

_**Time**_

_**Naruto's Obsession**_

One, two, three, four. An easy activity for children to take up when bored was to count their steps. Paved surfaces always turned out to be more fun, because then they could try to fit the exact same amount of steps between dividers on cement. That would be a first exercise in controlling their gait and pacing.

Naruto, and many children in Konoha, had to make do with just straight-up counting. Sometimes he'd count the amount of steps between intersections; two-hundred steps as the length of a particular stretch of road is hardly the use of a perfectly objective unit of measure, but Naruto really didn't care much. Walking wasn't tiring and he had all the time in the world to walk to wherever he needed to go.

All the time in the world – that was a funny thing. As an academy student, Naruto had classmates that complained about not having enough time in their days to hang out, do homework, go to classes, and sleep. Adults worked and slept like clockwork sometimes, like they never had free time. He'd met the Hokage a few times, a kind old man that never seemed to do anything but sit in his office and write. That man seemed busy a full hundred-percent of the time, and he'd bet the masked guards around him stood at attention all day every day.

That was his career goal, though, to be a ninja like one of those guys. He hoped he was never that busy, to spend so much... time... doing things. Because then he'd have no time to do what he wanted. Like right now – Naruto began the Academy only weeks ago. While some kids bemoaned their lost time, he went for the morning and afternoon, then spent his day doing whatever he wanted. He stayed on top of his work so far, and he was proud of that – but only because he had so much time to do what he wanted that he didn't even need to worry or rush about it. Time moved leisurely for him, and so did he through his days.

And pondering time, Naruto found a new unit of measurement on that day on the road: steps per seconds. He had to amend that: not quite steps per seconds, because he wasn't that good at counting time. But he wanted to give it a try anyway! One two, three four, five six. On his rough estimate, he was walking two steps a second. Naruto wondered if that was impressive, and looked down at his feet to speed up his gait. He was walking comfortably through the market district of Konoha, heading to his apartment after a day at the academy. He wasn't hurrying; maybe if he walked a little faster he could do three in a second?

He was sat on the earthen road beneath, and a cacophony of movement overtook his vision. Clattering hooves stomped down on the ground, accompanied by whinnying from above. Creaking wood and snapping leather followed alongside a furiously-spinning wooden wheel. This took less than a second – about a comfortable step – to pass, and then he goggled at a growing dust cloud as he felt an ache bloom on his left shoulder. He barely had time to react, taking in a deep breath that would've fueled a scream hadn't he inhaled a lungful of dust.

The boy hacked and coughed, legs kicking out and hands holding his throat. He'd panic if he had the chance, but laying on a dirt road coughing his lungs out was taking up all of his attention at the moment. As he rolled on the ground, he bumped into something solid, and looked up with teary eyes.

Silently as any other of the statuesque sentinels he'd seen over his life, stood an ANBU ninja. His mask followed the cart that had almost trampled Naruto Uzumaki for a few moments, then turned to face the boy – who responded in a like manner, eyes round. The ninja proffered a hand and then suddenly Naruto stood again. "Thank you so much oh-"

"If you had been a smidgen faster, I'd be picking your carcass off the ground rather than pulling you up." The ninja interrupted his torrent of words. "I wouldn't have been able to drag you back. Take more care when you're on the streets looking down at your feet. Good ninja don't get crushed by merchant carts, remember that." The ANBU patted his head with a huge hand that had just made him feel weightless, but now pushed down on his legs like a baby elephant stepped on him. With a parting nod, the figure turned, Naruto following him with wide eyes, and blurred out of existence.

In the distance, he thought he saw a slight movement on the roof of a far-off building. He could bet that was the ninja.

He wondered how long that'd have taken him in Naruto-steps, rather than the half-moment it did in ANBU-teleports? How many ANBU-teleports would take up a second, anyway?

Naruto coughed, then turned and began walking. Thoughts of times and rates filled his mind.

The Academy's administrative wing was very nicely-furnished. There were no flaws to be seen in the floor, in the curved cream walls, or on the furniture dotting the building. Naruto was a kid, but this was a slice of the adult world, and he had to act accordingly. He stepped away from the busy foyer towards the reception desk.

"Can I go upstairs to the Hokage's office?"

The man with a grey beard, garbed in a Chunin vest, stood and leaned over the desk to see the tiny kid talking to him. His smile waned as Naruto squinted back at him. This was the adult world, though, and so he acted accordingly. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Can I make one for right now?"

"... No."

"How about this time tomorrow?" The child tilted his head. The ninja frowned, but leaned back and flipped through a notebook on his workspace. The Hokage seemed to be free at the moment, and at the moment on the next day.

"I would go up and ask his secretary."

"Okay! Thanks mister!" A blinding grin followed this response, before the little kid scurried away. The ninja groaned, easing back into his chair. It was hard to be rude at that little ball of goddamned sunshine, hard as he tried. A small part of him hoped the kid wouldn't be rebutted by the Hokage's secretary.

At this point Naruto had moved on to said secretary, who raised an eyebrow at the small child by her desk. She idly scanned the floor for parents, before realizing who stood before her.

"You're here to meet the Hokage, I presume?" She recognized the child, partially from the Hokage's infrequent habit of bringing him back here. She pushed a lock of brown hair that'd escaped her tight bun behind her ear and pulled her glasses back, facing him directly.

"Yes ma'am. The mister at the front told me to check with you to make an appointment. Can I meet the Hokage this time tomorrow?"

What an odd kid. She checked the folders on her desk, then peered over at him. "He's available right now, actually. Would you like to meet with him now?"

Big blue eyes blinked twice, cartoonishly. "Oh wow, that's great! Yes, I want to."

The woman nodded, then stood up. Naruto was really a small child; she was a petite woman and he was both significantly thinner and shorter than her waist. She pushed open the thick doors to the village's leader's office with a curious ease, and called inside. "Hokage-sama, Naruto Uzumaki wants to meet you." She looked back at him. "He should be free for the next forty minutes." She pushed the door further to allow him passage, then walked back to her station.

"Naruto!" The Hokage's voice was filled with joy. "It's good to see you. I haven't seen you in so long; you have recently begun the Academy; how are you handling it?"

"Hey old man!" Naruto waved, running up towards the man's desk and planting himself on a seat. "The Academy is going great! I'm on top of my homework and my first test is next week, it's gonna go great!" As soon as his piece was done, Naruto looked around from atop his perch. The Hokage's office wasn't anything particularly interesting, unless one could read all the books and scrolls lying around on its floor. They were closed, so he simply squinted at the sheer mass of them. Naruto imagined the Hokage seemed so happy mostly because he wouldn't have to work while on a meeting.

The Hokage smiled, watching the child do what children did. "It's good you're excited, but make sure you're ready for that test. You don't want to start off your career on a bad note." Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "So, why have you come here today? I always love an update from an up-and-coming ninja, but is there anything you need?" His features darkened somewhat. "Are you getting along with your classmates and teachers well?"

Naruto's face took an absentminded quality. "Well, old man, there is something I need. I was thinking about teleporting."

The Hokage leaned back, smile drooping. "What about it?"

"I want to teleport." He crinkled his nose. "Ninja can do it, like your ANBU ninjas. When do you think I'll learn that in the Academy?"

"In a few years, if you stick to it. You're thinking of the Kawarimi. That allows you to teleport and replace yourself with something that's the same size as you."

"No, just kind of disappear and show up somewhere else. I was on the street and saw this guy from there to way over there to the top of some building." He opened his arms wide at 'way', enunciating loudly.

"Ah, that's the Shunshin, Naruto. That's a much higher-level technique that you won't ever learn in the Academy. I'd suggest learning your Academy basics before you get started thinking about stuff like that. But if you're really interested..." He winked at Naruto. "I could teach you Shunshin if you master Kawarimi. It's a basic technique for high-level ninja."

"Wow, really old man? That's so awesome!"

Naruto was a model student as much as a child could be. He answered correctly when called upon, he did his work and had limitless energy when exercising with the class. Thus, when he approached his first instructor, Chunin Iruka Umino, asking about jutsus, he didn't shrug him off as he might've liked. Naruto was levelheaded as far as children could go, and despite any grudges he might want to hold, from the past few weeks he'd seen nothing but positivity from the young boy.

As opposed to a troublemaker or an angry child, he saw a kid on top of his priorities with nothing but cheer to show for it. That went a long way in allaying his grudges; Naruto was not focused like a Hyuuga or Aburame, but it seemed like he used his time wisely instead of playing around, and that was a big start for a prospective ninja. So instead of growling at him to leave, Iruka held himself back, wondering what was going on in his little head, and tried to help.

It was also his duty, the one he'd sworn by, to support his students, and so he would – regardless of whom they were.

"What jutsu are you curious about, Naruto?" He asked neutrally, keeping the steel from his voice. The boy had a shy smile on his face, and he could hear his feet scuffing on the floor.

"I asked old man Hokage-"

"Hokage-sama, Naruto." He automatically corrected, somewhat aware of the boy's connection to the village leader. "Don't forget to respect your elders, even if they're your friends." He dispensed his wisdom, then gestured for the boy to continue.

"Sorry, Umino-sensei." He bowed slightly. Iruka nodded. "I asked Hokage-sama about a jutsu that I saw an ANBU use, and he suggested it was Kawarimi, which is one of the Academy basics. Turns out it wasn't but I actually really want to learn Kawarimi anyway because it looked really cool and if they're the same then-" Iruka held up his hand and Naruto's jaw clicked shut.

"Your class won't be learning Kawarimi for quite a while. You're just not ready for that yet. You don't even really know what a jutsu really is yet; I can't go and teach you one in my right mind."

Naruto contemplated this for a few moments. Iruka found it curious to see a child stop and think, but waited.

"If I work really hard and read ahead and get everything I need to get and learn everything I need to, will you teach me Kawarimi early?" He squinted and gave Iruka his biggest smile.

The teacher regarded the child in front of him. He pushed his issues aside – it was his duty to make this child everything he could be. Part of him wondered what would happen to him if he was handed to some instructor who really didn't want him to succeed, who let their feelings get in the way of their job.

Naruto, as a student, had come up with all of his homework thus far. Iruka thought from what he'd seen that Naruto was the real deal – he worked lackadaisically but seemed creative as a student. From that, he thought that after he sent the students' first tests in to be graded by the administration, after which they'd get put into classes corresponding with their aptitude, Naruto could certainly get transferred to one of the higher-level classes if his academic drive was really there, beyond simple competence. From his work and from his in-class performance he looked golden, but testing was another world entirely, where in-depth knowledge was valued most. Of course, that test would definitely influence where he would go and when he would be moving ahead.

His test would definitely be watched closely, given this initiative he could see in Naruto. His grudge was pushed back further – from their first personal interaction, Naruto was taking a strong initiative to improve. He had to respect that, at least.

"Well, I don't see why not, Naruto. Just stick to your promise and work hard. If I see you in the advanced classes after your first test, I'll get you ready and teach you Kawarimi." He smiled, genuinely, and Naruto beamed back.

Naruto just could not wait to cut out every second he'd need taking slow steps. If he could teleport, he could just cross the road before the cart was even on the same street.

Kawarimi was instant. That was an intriguing prospect: instantaneousness. Thoughts, breaths, spoken words, actions, all took time to be finished. But with Kawarimi, the moment the Chakra was exerted, if done right, it was done. The greatest variable was how fast one could use the technique itself, but with enough training that would be almost instantaneous. Not like the jutsu itself, but it was impossible for a human action to compare to the prospect of timelessness. Naruto was young, but he understood that even the fastest-moving ANBU, whom he could have barely sensed near him, took a few minutes to run across the horizon. He had spent more than one dusk watching ninja run across the village. Little dots in his vision, moving at rates he could barely comprehend – buildings cleared in a fraction of a second, multiple intersections passed within a half-moment.

It was honestly pretty amazing, and it only made the child strive to be closer to that speed. Closer to the standard set by Kawarimi – instantaneousness.

Naruto had read up on the subject: the Academy's library contained pieces waxing poetics about the most esoteric of ideas, like time. He didn't really understand the majority of it, but he did understand that Kawarimi was one of the few space-time jutsu available in ninja's repertoire. The average ninja could be counted to have sealing scrolls on him, which stored objects in a seal. Naruto didn't understand how putting stuff in a piece of paper connected to teleporting, but he did understand space-time connecting to rates.

Rates drove his life – how much air he breathed per breath. If he didn't take in enough air, he'd suffocate like Old Lady Yama down the hall. Space and time were connected in a way, and he realized that one day after his Academy placement test. He ran home, confident about his answers despite how tough the test had been, and thought about a math problem he'd stumbled into.

"A ninja carries a message from the Iwa border town of Gake to the Fire Capital running at constant 45 kilometers per hour. If he ran straight towards the capital for 12 hours, how far would he be from Konoha?"

Naruto had pulled out his ruler and sketched a line in the map provided in the question. The basic part of the question was that he was going to be running to the capital, and then he'd stop somewhere. He did the math, and measured out how far that was from Gake, drawing a big dot where that was. Then he measured from there to Konoha. It wasn't a hard question, but it took a little bit of mental gymnastics from him – which pushed him towards a discovery, that when he put speed and time together, he got space. If he had a space, taking a speed from it, he figured out how much time it took to get through that. Finally, when he took time and took space from it, figuring out how long it took to get past a given area... he made speed.

Kawarimi was space without time. As time was instantaneous and space was however much one wanted, its speed was infinite.

Naruto imagined it in simpler terms, but the concept was very solidly ingrained in his head when he first tried learning the technique days later. Inducted into an advanced class, he had fulfilled his promise of working hard. Naruto wanted to go _there _without bothering with taking _time _to do so. He channeled his Chakra and intent fueled by only that sentiment – he wanted to move instantly. He _had _to be infinitely fast, if for only one moment.

Iruka-sensei told him that the steps towards mastery of the technique weren't immediately noticeable. There was no "doing it until it was up to par", but rather all-or-nothing in terms of competency. He couldn't start it off slow and speed up, because there was no such thing. If he didn't do it instantly, nothing happened, he just flared Chakra or got other things to move, but stayed in place.

One time he got it to half-work, and been hit in the face with a log. Iruka told him that could also happen sometimes. Naruto asked if he could do that to summon food towards him so he wouldn't have to walk to the kitchen, but his teacher just rebutted by sighing and telling him he doubted he could make the mistake the exact same way reliably.

And then he got it. Running himself ragged for weeks, he finally had something to show for it other than a bruised nose. The technique flowed just right, through his hand-seals and his powerful wish to _be there right now. _The next day, he presented the fruits of his labors to the Hokage.

"Hey old man!" He waved and strolled past the leader's secretary as she opened the door. The woman nodded at Sarutobi, who greeted the child amiably.

"Naruto, I heard your test went well, how is the high-level class treating you?" He smiled across his desk to the blond student.

Naruto beamed. "I'm top of the class! I've been working hard with Iruka-sensei to master Kawarimi!"

The Hokage blinked, then smiled. "You're already learning it? You only moved up two months ago, no one in your class should have the capability to channel enough for a Bunshin, much less the Kawarimi. It's the last technique you're supposed to learn in the Academy." Naruto brought his hands forward and deliberately ran through five seals.

Suddenly Sarutobi was staring at his own hat on the floor, with two small legs creeping from his peripheral vision. He laughed, joined by the child on his shoulders. The high-pitched peals from behind his head stopped suddenly, interrupted by a squawk of indignation as an ANBU picked the child off the Hokage and carried him back before the desk. Naruto squinted at the ninja while the Hokage's laughter subsided into chuckles.

"You truly are unpredictable, Naruto. That's a skill that will prove invaluable to you and your allies in the future, but make sure your friends know a little bit of what to expect, not everyone appreciates a surprise like an old man does." He winked. Naruto nodded quickly, then turned towards the ANBU that had plopped him down where he was.

His beaked mask glared back silently. Naruto faced Sarutobi and made to say something, but reluctantly closed his mouth and stared back at the impassive figure beside him.

The Hokage watched the face-off with palpable amusement, leaning on his desk. Slowly, Naruto's face began to show intimidation, while the ANBU's mask continued to stare him down mercilessly.

After a few seconds under his scrutiny, the young boy was intimidated by the ninja's blank stare and scurried to return the Hokage's hat, after which the bodyguard stepped back and disappeared into the wall behind him. Naruto stayed behind the desk with Sarutobi as he donned his hat.

"I remember the promise I made, Naruto. I presume your show of skill was meant to tell me you were ready for Shunshin?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head with a rueful grin. "Yeah! I've been working really hard since you told me about it. Iruka-sensei even told me he was proud of me last week when I got hit by the log."

"Iruka Umino is a good man, but he is troubled. I'm happy you've gotten through to him. He isn't your teacher, though, is he?"

"No, I asked Iruka-sensei to teach me the Kawarimi after I made it into the advanced class." Sarutobi quirked an eyebrow. "I promised to work my hardest, and I did!"

"Indeed you did, and not without results. I have to say I'm proud of you, Naruto, and I think I have to reward you for that work." He stood. "I will teach you Shunshin." Naruto whooped in joy, and the Hokage imitated his infectious grin. "Bird, bring Naruto to Training Ground Three," Sarutobi ordered.

Naruto watched the ninja form up, looked away from the window and faced his ANBU escort. The bird-masked man stared him down silently as he had before Naruto had returned the Hokage's hat. The young boy grimaced. Bird picked him up and took to Shunshin alongside the Hokage and the other bodyguards.

The Hokage was widely-known as the best ninja in the village. This fact was wholly objective – never had Naruto heard of anyone being able to challenge a Hokage in any way. The Fourth Hokage had been able to single-handedly stop the force of nature that was the Kyuubi no Youko after a war that had been won almost on his lonesome. The Third Hokage was still called 'The Professor', a master of all of Konoha's techniques and the 'God of Shinobi', a frightening example of the peak of every field of the ninja arts. The First and Second Hokages had cemented Konoha's place in the world – by actually bringing the world to heel with their amazing control over nature.

Naruto could see that Sarutobi, in a Shunshin, was clearly the fastest of the group flying out the window, and his entire world thus continued to make sense. This made him curious, of course, about the Tiger-masked ANBU that was hot on the Kage's heels while the rest of the bodyguards were struggling to keep their leader in sight.

ANBU formed a perimeter around him, hiding amongst bushes and berry trees. He himself simply walked towards the shore after decelerating at Training Ground Three as Bird dropped Naruto beside him and joined the others comrades in the woodlands.

Sarutobi had taught his own team here – the Memorial Stone stood across the small lake, in a clearing much akin to the one he stood in. He looked around, peering at his well-hidden bodyguards in the thick treeline, and smiled. They weren't hidden enough to escape his notice, and he doubted they could be, but he bet they tried to made themselves just hidden enough to make it clear they were there.

It warmed his heart, opposing the chill he felt at standing in the spot where he'd inducted three children into the ninja world when he was a young Kage. Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru had been the most promising bunch of little rascals he'd ever seen when he picked them up, but curiously enough every new generation had a gem that pushed that envelope. Sarutobi wondered if Naruto would be the flame that lit this generation's torch and told the world, "we're ready for you". Six years old and using his wiles on a Kage to teach him Shunshin... he chuckled.

They stayed silent, Hokage in his thoughts, ANBU in their duty, and Naruto in respect, realizing the old man was deep in thought.

But then he decided he had waited too long, so he cleared his throat.

"Hmm?" Sarutobi peered at him genially.

Naruto harrumphed. "Old man, you didn't bring me here to take a nap, did you?" He accused.

"No, I brought you here to teach you." The Professor smiled with a glint in his eye. "So please, give your sensei a second to compose himself and let's get to it."

Shunshin, unlike Kawarimi, was not in any way a teleportation technique. While unskilled ninja and civilians might see an ANBU appearing out of nowhere or even disappearing in a swirl of leaves, people like the Hokage, users of it and Naruto himself, after this trip, were keenly aware of the fact that it was a speed technique. The swirl was commonly employed by ninja to conceal their direction, or in short-range jumps, distract others from figuring out where they went. With a good enough eye, it was possible to watch ninja move within Shunshin, or to even differentiate speeds within it.

Having the God of Shinobi as a teacher definitely helped in that regard, as when Naruto began trying to pick up the speed technique, he quickly reached points where Iruka would not have been able to differentiate one speed from another. But Sarutobi continued to tell him, "faster", "channel more chakra to your feet" – the Hokage knew exactly where he failed and where to fix it.

The day passed as the leader watched Naruto flicker back and forth across the clearing. "What this does, Naruto, is make you move much faster than you normally ever would. If you manage to move faster on your own, this will be reflected on your Shunshin if you master it."

Naruto paused, focused, and tried the technique again – right into a tree. Sarutobi was by his side in a moment, helping him up. That had been his best attempt so far, supposedly, despite its target. The Shunshin could only go in a straight line, so unmoving obstacles on the scale of trees couldn't be bypassed. But the boy was focused on something else, despite taking in the Hokage's lecture. "If you keep training both you can only go faster and faster?" At his nod, Naruto continued. "So, I get that you're old and have been practicing since the dinosaurs, what about the Tiger-mask guy?"

Sarutobi quirked an eyebrow. "Tiger?" Said ANBU stood beside him after a flicker of movement.

"Yeah, no one else kept up with you."

The Hokage nodded to Tiger, who spoke up. "I am a Shunshin specialist, if you would."

"And as such, I will leave him to teach you for the rest of the day." Sarutobi gestured at the slowly-drooping sun. "I do have a few appointments, but trust me, Naruto, you're in capable hands. Tiger." He dismissed the ANBU and disappeared. Foliage shook under a strong breeze, covering up the whispers of departing ninja.

Tiger saw a minute flicker in Naruto's eyes when the Hokage Shunshined off. "Did you... see it?"

"Yeah, I did." The boy gazed up at the blank mask. "Everyone else's too."

The dark-haired ninja nodded slowly. "Good eye."


	2. The Dream

Tiger was not a Shunshin specialist. Tiger was _the_ Shunshin specialist. His mastery of the technique and of his body's sheer speed was confounding to his opponents and a marvel for his bosses. With a prodigal ability to _go fast_ like no one but the Fourth Hokage before him, Tiger was the man to talk to about speed.

A friendly young man, he would always take the time of his day to aid people with his specialty. From new ANBU with difficulties keeping up with him to his old Captain, the legendary Kakashi Hatake, he was always willing to help others understand the intricacies of Shunshin.

His ANBU squadmates Turtle, Flamingo, and even Captain Kakashi all had tangible reasons to better master Shunshin.

Naruto Uzumaki was six years old, and could _see_ the difference between the Sandaime, Tiger, and the other ANBU in Sarutobi's protection detail. That was pretty neat, the ninja thought. He also thought there was nothing else that outwardly motivated a young child to master Shunshin.

Always polite, he decided to just ask, then.

"Why?"

Naruto blinked his big blue eyes up at him. "Why do I wanna learn Shunshin?"

"Why try so hard to?"

"I want to make my rate better." Naruto squinted, trying to put into words reasoning he had never tried to say before. "A little bit back I nearly got hit by a big cart with huge horses. One ANBU held me back. He was fast enough to see me and get to me faster than I could think, and pull me back. The thoughts in my head weren't fast enough, and my feet didn't get me on the other side of the road before the cart passed. I want to change that."

"Shunshin alone won't help you think faster," Tiger noted. "And you know, if you'd been watching, or were going slower, the cart wouldn't have been near you in the first place."

Naruto just shook his head. "I can't go slower. I want to be a super cool ninja like you and the old man, and if I slow down you guys are just gonna be more faster than me."

Tiger hummed. "And you think being faster will help you think faster too?"

"When I was a kid the stairs were so tall, and I didn't know when I'd get to the top when I climbed. Now it's not that long." The boy frowned, thinking hard. "When people grow up, their perception of time changes," he recited.

"That is definitely true. But while you're growing up, your surroundings seem to go by faster. I thought you wanted to think faster?"

Naruto grinned. "But if I make the world all slow again, but stay fast, then I have much more time to think! I have a better rate! Distance over time, decisions over time, thoughts over time!"

What an overcomplicated child, Tiger felt.

In a nutshell, he just wanted to go faster and think faster so he could become a super cool ninja.

The ANBU always believed in dreaming modestly and taking baby steps.

"Very well." He nodded. "The best way to think faster is to force yourself to do more in less time, or under more stress. This, expectedly, comes as a result of becoming faster. So don't fret, little Naruto. The Hokage broke it down very well when he explained the results of Shunshin can reflect also your natural speed. I would not mind helping you with both, but I have always helped my peers simply with the jutsu." He smiled slightly under his mask, and Naruto beamed in return.

"Does that mean you're going to be my Sensei?"

"Of course, the Hokage wanted me to," Naruto's grin wilted slightly, "and I think someone with your dedication and potential can go very far. Maybe even the fastest ninja ever, if you work hard enough."

At the second part of Tiger's statement, the boy blushed, his grin giving way to a bashful smile. "You really think so?"

Tiger nodded resolutely, playing the child like an accordion to begin drawing that sheer potential out of him. "You're showing me very good progress already. If we do a little less talking and a little more training, you'll be on your way."

Naruto's Shunshin improved under Tiger's watchful eye. It was at the beginning of its use that a technique saw the most tangible improvement, but the ANBU saw more than that. He told Naruto to sprint as fast as he could, and the little shrimp gave it his all, then used Shunshin to cover the same area.

The margins of improvement were not decreasing to the negligible after hours and hours of nonstop training. It was interesting, but not as much as the fact that the child would give his all running and not tire from it after a total of a few kilometers.

The subtle guiding hand of chakra and the increased endurance it brought unto ninja that no normal human could achieve was to be attributed to this, but Tiger saw nothing if not an absurd effect of it in Naruto.

"Naruto," he called. The child stopped his zigzaging motion across the field immediately at the commanding voice of an ANBU. "It's late."

The little boy grinned. "It's been late for a few hours, Sensei. What, is it past your bedtime?"

"It ought to be a few past yours. Besides, I'm not sure you can take much more of this." He gestured to Naruto's scuffed and torn t-shirt and shorts.

Naruto disagreed, and although Tiger had much to do the next day, he stayed with the boy.

This cycle repeated itself every odd night, of Naruto disagreeing he was done for the night, and Tiger agreeing to stick around. Sarutobi, ever a kind soul, removed his early morning duties and paid the ninja to train the little rascal.

He was, more than a good Hokage and man, a really nice boss.

On the other end of things, Naruto was a good kid. Facing adversity daily, he only strove harder to improve every day, and zoomed past his peers into ever-more advanced classes. The academy had a six-year curriculum, and Naruto seemed to be giving it a run for its money.

In the end, it took him about two years to graduate. Although he achieved astonishing skill in the use of the jutsu all Genin had to know within the first few months, there was a lot more to a ninja than a superhero with special techniques.

Through it all, Naruto's drive never wavered. A simple view of his goals, a whole-minded focus to his dream of simply being _faster_ that few could give, made him memorize quickly, fly through arithmetic, and even peek into more esoteric classes before he finished up at the academy. Spending that little time in the academic world, Naruto still felt he had the space to look into physics and higher math covered by the Academy.

His perception of time had improved. Tiger was right.

Naruto graduated at eight years old. He ranked as the #1 student of his class (undisputed, even through the struggles of algebra), and Tiger and Sarutobi, his best (only? Aside from the kid with the eyebrows in his first few classes two years back) friends, were there with him to celebrate.

Naruto was a super cool ninja, at last. Tiger even ceded that indeed, he was pretty damn fast.

"I will admit, Naruto: you are fast for a Genin." Yeah, pretty _damn_ fast. Naruto was an adult now, and he knew what he meant.

When he said this, Tiger's voice was lower than usual, as if emotional. Sarutobi, beside the ANBU, congratulated him – not as heartily as Naruto would've expected – and seemed a little off-kilter as well.

Naruto wondered if him being assigned to a Jounin team would make Tiger go back into normal ANBU duty. The new Genin knew that the ninja wouldn't want to go back to morning duty. Sarutobi, on the other hand: the old man had a big heart, and perhaps he was reconciling with the fact that Naruto now had the duty to serve him. He was serious about it, and Naruto respected that, but the somberness in the Hokage's face made it seem like he was about to doze off, so he proposed they get some rejuvenating ramen.

On the night of Naruto's graduation, his Sensei met with him not at their training ground, but stood at his apartment door a couple of minutes prior to their meeting time. Naruto had not been worried about lateness, so he hadn't left yet. When the time came, he could zoom over to the woods within less than a minute.

_One, two, three, four_ had evolved from half-meters to meters, to two meters per count, and so on. His Shunshin covered city blocks in fractions of a second. He was _damn_ fast. And he was an adult! He could do what he wanted and leave when he wanted. (As long as he was on time, because he was also now a soldier, he reminded himself.)

As Naruto considered his adulthood, Tiger languidly strolled through the doorway, then finding Naruto's couch and heavily settling himself onto it. Naruto had been preparing to leave, and the apartment was dimly lit.

"Sensei." He stated the man's identity, a question on his face. Tiger had a way of appreciating life at a sedate pace, something the Genin never understood, but he had a lightness about his movements that was gone now.

"Naruto." He sighed deeply. "Take a seat," he ordered, gesturing at one of the boy's own chairs.

"What's up?" Naruto fidgeted, taking in his teacher.

Tiger took a moment to respond. "Yesterday afternoon I met with the Hokage and did some paperwork alongside him." The ANBU removed his mask, revealing light skin and dark eyes, but also a wan smile. "The paperwork is being processed for your apprenticeship with me."

Naruto was taken by a mixture of curiosity about his Sensei's features and identity, and excitement about the news. His eventual response commented solely on the latter, very loudly.

"Tomorrow morning all other graduating Genin will be placed in teams with Jounin-Sensei. You will be the exception, as my apprentice. I want you to have the next few days off." A grimace flashed across the ninja's face, quickly to most but to Naruto a full-blown expression that caught his eye.

Tiger probably had to do a ton of work to get the apprenticeship finalized in the next few days. The young ninja felt even more thankful to the ANBU at that moment, and went to say as such, although he was stopped.

"We will forgo training for tonight. You've earned your break, Mr. Top-of-the-Class." Tiger gave him that wan smile once more. "I, Shisui Uchiha, am proud to say that I believe in you, Naruto. I believe in your potential, I believe in you as a ninja." He blinked, and his eyes opened blazing red and black. Naruto was frozen in his seat. "I am proud of _you_, first and foremost. I want to tell you one thing, that... no matter what, always believe in yourself, and always believe that your speed will carry you through. Don't forget this. It will be your path to greatness."

Within a blink of an eye (even to the newly-minted Genin), Naruto's new, official, Sensei disappeared as soon as those shining Sharingan eyes closed for the first time.

A Tiger mask sat on his living room's table. Naruto moved, slowly for once, to stand, feeling numb. He tenderly reached and took the mask, holding it before him and simply staring. He walked around the table and took Shisui's place at the couch, then sat there holding the mask until sleep took him later that night. He dreamed about spinning pinwheels of black in a red sky, and of his Sensei's words.

The next morning, the news were shouted from every street corner: the Uchiha had been decimated to a child.

It had been a week after the Uchiha Massacre by Itachi, one of ANBU's best. Life went on in Konoha, despite the loss of a prominent clan. Naruto's graduating class had run its course, and a few squads of Genin had joined Konoha's ranks.

Naruto himself was in another situation, as he stood in the Hokage's office around midday.

"Naruto, you're in limbo." The Hokage was frank.

The child before him was young and obviously hurt, but he was strong too. And Sarutobi knew he respected candidity. Even so, tear-tracks shone on his cheeks, dark circles ringing his eyes. The young ninja still stood at attention for his leader.

Sarutobi felt proud, if bittersweet.

"Limbo?"

"Your old classmates have moved on. Either they are studying under Jounin, or had their teams failed and are in remedial training." The Hokage rubbed his chin. "You are in a different position. Your Sensei had started the paperwork for your apprenticeship the day before your graduation. At... the time of his death, you were not on track to join a Genin team, nor were you going to go back to the Academy."

"I was his apprentice for months, he's been my Sensei for two years," the child sniped. In a world of glares and condemnation, Naruto had two friends, none closer than his old, reliable Sensei. It hurt the man who had once written his paychecks too, but he had to get used to it. To Naruto, seeing a man he loved be reduced to a piece of paper, a factor in determining his status, obviously stung.

Sarutobi looked at his desk and shuffled a sheaf of papers. "If your official Sensei dies, you are reassigned, but you were not under him by law. You also are not under the Academy. Now, given that I am Hokage, I could do whatever I wanted in terms of your placement. Nothing is stopping me from folding you into a team, or promoting you to ANBU Captain, or whatever I want to do, although it's not always simple. However, I think that your place in this limbo is giving us an opportunity."

"Are you saying Sensei's death could be a good thing?"

"Yes, Naruto. Shisui was one of my best, and I know you would flourish under him. However, in our world, death is a constant." His face darkened. "My ninja and your Sensei is dead, and that closes a path of opportunity. But you can go anywhere you want with your potential and the skills already under your belt. Tell me, Naruto: what do you strive to do?"

Naruto, eyes hard at the Hokage's words, suddenly froze at the question. "Uh."

The Hokage stood, looking out of his window towards the village. "You have your Hokage's ear, Naruto. What do you want to _be_?"

The boy began hesitantly, his anger escaping him. "I – Sensei..."

"Your speed, Naruto." He began over the boy's stammering. "From the very beginning, I could see it in your eyes. The observation of my high-level ninja, the sheer drive I saw in your training for Shunshin and increasing your natural speed. You want to be fast. You are. With your mastery of the jutsu, you can move faster than most of our Chunin. That alone is amazing, but that is not even the tip of the iceberg in your dreams. Tell me what the rest of it is."

Naruto could see parallels to a conversation he had years before. "Whether it's meters per second and thoughts per second... I never want to slow down. I want to become the master of speed." His eyes shone with determination. "I want to maybe be above those rates, master time, or space... be beyond the second and be beyond the meter. That's what I want to do."

The Hokage's eyes shone, unseen to the young ninja. He nodded resolutely. "Then I know what I'll have you do."

An ANBU stepped out of Sarutobi's wall and picked up a folder. It flew, smacking against Naruto's chest, and his arms snapped up to hold it. When the old man didn't move and the bodyguard melted back into the wall, the boy began reading.

The room was enveloped in silence for a minute as he skimmed through the papers. He looked up, blue eyes squinting.

"Who are the... _messenger-nin_?"

Sarutobi turned to face him, a conspiratorial grin on his face. "Naruto Uzumaki, by the Hokage's will, you are being given all the privileges of a Chuunin, and your new duty of being Konoha's first messenger-nin."

"Your missions will entail handling time-dependent information and the delivery thereof. As a Genin-rank ninja, you will be paid for your deliveries as individual missions depending on the urgency of the information delivered, but will be on-duty constantly for those deliveries. This will be considered an on-going C-rank mission, paid for every two weeks by the office of the Hokage. Given time and good service, a merit-based promotion to Chunin may be yours. You run faster than our hawks, Naruto." He gave him a meaningful look.

Naruto was speechless.

"Additionally, I am assigning you on a long-term training mission." He paused.

A gulp. "Sir, I... I accept my duties. What's my mission?"

"I want you to talk to one of my Jounin, Gai. He should be outside. You have far outstripped him in the ratio of your Shunshin to your natural speed – no mean feat, for he is one of my top ninja. But on the other hand, he is one of the fastest ninja in the village, and the world. I want you to learn his natural speed."

Naruto's mood turned around. Sarutobi was offering him a path to Sensei's last wish: the pursuit of his speed, and the last lesson he had imparted on his student. "My Shunshin will be even faster if my body is faster!" Naruto beamed. "Thank you, old man!"

"Absolutely." Sarutobi returned that little grin old people do. "And I am happy Chunin Iruka did not beat all of the disrespect out of you, Naruto. Be true to yourself and to those close to you. I am Hokage, but you're a breath of fresh air sometimes." He winked.

Naruto chuckled in response, and the Hokage sunk into his seat with a dismissal.

Outside of the office, standing beside the door, was a towering Jounin garbed in a lot of green and orange legwarmers.

Props for the legwarmers, Naruto thought.

"Genin Uzumaki?" He queried. Naruto nodded, curious about the clashing style of his clothing and demure personality.

With the Genin's confirmation of his identity, Gai decided it was time to prove him wrong. "VERY GOOD! OUR MISSION TO STOKE YOUR RIGHTEOUS FLAMES THUS BEGINS! FOLLOW, YOUTHFUL NINJA!" After shouting at his new charge, the Jounin took off like a speeding kunai out the window, taking a small potted plant in the slipstream that followed him.

To follow, Naruto had to use Shunshin to the peak of its capabilities, using a handseal to get the greatest burst to his speed possible. Within a fraction of a moment, his body was airborne through the window. In his perception, a beleaguered potted plant seemed to slowly drift away from the Tower, and then he was hurtling above city blocks at speeds many Chunin would be hard-pressed to match.

Admiring the view of Konoha for the long few seconds he traveled through the air, Naruto sighted his landing spot and gritted his teeth, strengthening himself for the fall. He landed with a bone-jarring smack atop the roof of a two-story shop, and found Gai in the distance. The Jounin skipped past city blocks as if they were tiles on the floor beneath him.

That was how ninja traveled. Naruto smiled, following his new Sensei's example and working to hone his speed.

Was he a super cool ninja yet? He hoped Shisui would have thought so.


End file.
